It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp

Political corruption, the world's second oldest profession, just isn't as easy as it used to be.

Take defense contractor Mitchell Wade, for example. He had a good thing going with Representative Randy "Duke" Cunningham, until the Congressman's taste for bling got them both busted.

Mr. Wade now claims he funneled $50,000 in illegal campaign contributions to Katherine Harris for some military largesse, but the Congresswoman failed to secure the pay-off. After what she pulled off for George W., Mr. Wade must wonder if Katherine was holding out on him.

Or take John Goodman, president and founder of a Dallas-based think tank. He thought he had bought himself another reliable intellectual to shill for George W., but what he ended up with in Bruce Bartlett, the author of Imposter: How George Bush Bankrupted America and Betrayed the Reagan Legacy, was a pundit with a guilty conscious and a leaky mouth.

At first Mr. Goodman's money did the trick, however. Or to quote Mr. Bartlett directly, "Being supportive of Mr. Bush was definitely more rewarding to me than being critical." But what is an obscure "fellowship" at a third-rate think tank compared to a major book deal, a New York Times blog, and a guest appearance on the Daily Show?

With Iraq on the brink of Civil War and the president's poll numbers in the tank, it will be interesting to see who will join Sullivan, Buckley, Fukuyama, and now Bartlett as the next convert to the anti-Bush camp.

Comments (22)

1. Well as the saying goes, "Politicians are a lot like prostitutes...and I apologize to all the prostitutes I may have offended."

   Anti-Bush books from Left just don't seem to do as well as Anti-Bush books from the Right. Traitors are more interesting, I guess.

   Posted by kfine at 03/14/2006 @ 12:17pm

2. I wait anxiously to hear from Jack Abramoff.

   His need to repay the Native American tribes over $25 million will necessitate the need for a best-seller from him.

   Posted by oraibi1952 at 03/14/2006 @ 12:20pm

3. Well, it's like books or an interview with live crime family ex-members-- it's like they have all the secret handshakes and know where the bodies are buried; one just has to slow down to see the messy carwreck, the auto parts store or garage just isn't the same.

   Posted by Bushfools at 03/14/2006 @ 12:22pm

4. So, RIO... Mr. Hennessy, Delay's attorney, says Delay is right and Earle is wrong, essentially. FASCINATING STUFF RIO!!! ("Public relations victories" and $1.00 will get you a cup of coffee...it's the trial that counts.)

   I'm so glad the American Taxpayer got to pay for George W. Bush to fly to Texas to vote for his buddy (because someone on Bush's staff forgot to get him an absentee ballot). I've forgotten to get absentee ballots before too, no one flew me anywhere to vote!

   But you tied in nicely to KVH's post. Delay's the prostitute, Hennessy's his Pimp and Earle is the aggressive Vice Cop.

   Posted by kfine at 03/14/2006 @ 12:50pm

5. Abramoff is also still holding all the pics he has with GWB. He is looking for the highest bid. I wouldn't give a quarter, but I'm sure some sensationalist muck raking organization (like the current Whitehouse) will be happy to cough up a pretty penny!

   Posted by freedomplease at 03/14/2006 @ 1:38pm

6. Rio, you can cry, cry, cry all day about Democrats and their culpability in the Indian Affairs and lobbying buy-offs, but what you don't seem to get is...the Republicans have been running the show. They are the "leaders." When you are large and in charge, the buck is suppossed to stop with you. So, do the Republicans get a free pass b/c some Democrats might have had a hand in the cookie jar?

   I guess you felt that Clinton should have been left alone after all the affairs and illegitamite children of REPUBLICAN officals were exposed? Right? I mean after all, if they were doing then the President isn't so bad after all right? Is that your logic?

   The Republicans have a target painted on their foreheads, and that being so...everyone is watching. And if you foul up and get caught, then don't start the blame game.

   [I've been watching The Apprentice this season because a personal friend of mine is on it, and every Project Manager ends up saying the same thing..."I've delegated and I expect those people to take responsiblity for their work." They've all forgetten (along with the Republicans) that when you are in charge, if the ship sinks on your watch...its your fault. No matter how much you moan and groan...you will eventually have to own up. On that note...President Bush...you're fired.]

   Posted by BlueTexan at 03/14/2006 @ 1:41pm

7. Basic truths. And those would be what, Rio Bravo? If you support this government, truth is a selective concept to you, just as it is for any other party line activist.

   Posted by Sweetdaddy at 03/14/2006 @ 3:18pm

8. Rio B.,

   Are you aware that Abramoff is not in the inferno due to the mere taking of money from Indian tribes? He was taking money and then defrauding them, along with a smorgasbord of other deceits.

   This is from Wikipedia:

   On January 3, 2006, Abramoff pleaded guilty to three felony counts -- conspiracy, fraud, and tax evasion -- involving charges stemming principally from his lobbying activities in Washington on behalf of Native American tribes. In addition, Abramoff and other defendants must make restitution of at least $25 million that was defrauded from clients, most notably the Native American tribes. Further, Abramoff owes the Internal Revenue Service $1.7 million as a result of his guilty plea to the tax evasion charge.[2].

   I'm no fan of the democrats, but show me in your Limbaugh Letter, or whatever bullshit source you use, where these 40 deomocrats broke the law in the way Abramoff and his cockroach collaborators did.

   Posted by Oustbush at 03/14/2006 @ 3:25pm

9. RIO, you've been an "independent" for 40 years?! Have you been holding out for the current facist Bush regime? It must have been worth the wait for you.

   Posted by BlueTexan at 03/14/2006 @ 3:46pm

10. Posted by RIO BRAVO 03/14/2006 @ 12:34am

    well done screech. another grapeshot of petty, dubious, details. familiar tactic here, reminiscent of the coulteresque tsunami of footnotes...

    and just keep sqwauking "demoncrat" - its funny and makes us so mad...and makes you feel beter, i suppose, imagining all of us burning in hell while you gloat next to your compassionate god...

    hey - check out this website

    Rio's Psyche [landoverbabtist.org]

    Posted by ibbleblibble at 03/14/2006 @ 4:19pm

11. Rio's Psyche [landoverbaptist.org]

    oops

    Posted by ibbleblibble at 03/14/2006 @ 4:22pm

12. Rio's Psyche [landoverbaptist.org]

    oops

    Posted by IBBLEBLIBBLE 03/14/2006 @ 4:22pm | ignore this person

    Don't do that to me Ibble! After having just sat down with my fresh cup of coffee and opening up your link--I almost lost my first mouthful of coffee through a burst of laughter. That so perfectly describes Rio's psyche, as you warned. Not to mention a few others here.

    Posted by Oustbush at 03/14/2006 @ 4:44pm

13. Posted by OUSTBUSH 03/14/2006 @ 4:44pm

    hee hee - see the link to the real easter bunny whipping outside of pittsburgh?

    oh god, protect me from your followers!

    Posted by ibbleblibble at 03/14/2006 @ 5:10pm

14. hey ibble, oustbush,

    is that lvliberty or rio in the picture next to the reader mail?

    Posted by loveloki at 03/14/2006 @ 5:16pm

15. Oh, well. Hating Bush is now just the most recent fun little hobby of mine to get ruined by getting popular. Gee wiz -- who would have thought that my sentiments about my 2nd generation Mac-only iPod and my degenerate crack-head president could have so much in common.

    P.S., Ms. vanden Heuvel -- you say "leaky mouth" like it's a *bad* thing!

    Posted by idea_hamster at 03/14/2006 @ 5:17pm

16. or is it mr. salty?

    Posted by loveloki at 03/14/2006 @ 5:27pm

17. Posted by LOVELOKI 03/14/2006 @ 5:16pm |

    looks old, probably an ancestor of both....maybe the missing link

    Posted by ibbleblibble at 03/14/2006 @ 6:50pm

18. Posted by LOVELOKI 03/14/2006 @ 5:16pm |

    mr. salty's gettin' all riled up over on nichol's blog - u can tell when his anally retentive news style centered posts get real small...

    hee hee

    Posted by ibbleblibble at 03/14/2006 @ 6:55pm

19. Posted by RIO BRAVO 03/14/2006 @ 11:45pm

    A whole 1.5 mill eh?

    That'll buy about 3 hours of the Iraqi occupation

    or make up .017% of the nine billion the republicans lost in Iraq.

    1.5 mill (Ha Ha Ha Ha)

    Posted by Will C. at 03/15/2006 @ 12:40am

20. nice rio, but i don't think u quite caught oust's point.

    Posted by loveloki at 03/15/2006 @ 01:37am

21. I've been reading the Nation online for a few days now. Before I left the States I read the real magazine, but it's been a few years.

    Both sides of the debate here--and here there are only two sides!--repeat the same thing over and over, and mutually shut out anyone who says anything constructive. For those of you that are "liberal", you think it's only bad when the "cons" do it, and for the "conservatives", it's only bad when the "libs" do it. It doesn't matter what the core issue is, either. I've seen both sides debate the validity of a poll (or even polling in general!) and then quote another poll as if it was valid.

    Any call for substative debate is insulted or ignored. From what I remember of the Nation from the 80s and 90s, the material on these blogs is an insult to the quality of the magazine.

    Stop demonizing each other and talk about issue, for God's sake! If you don't like something, make a suggestion. If you disagree, don't insult the other poster, give your reasons for disagreement. I don't think either conservatives or liberals have done away with the principle of mutual respect yet, or have you?

    Posted by cassenthri at 03/15/2006 @ 06:41am

22. An aside:

    The worlds oldest profession, the first real specialized job, was shoemaking. What's that got to do with this article?

    Posted by cassenthri at 03/15/2006 @ 06:42am